Boston Celtics Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Berger’s Latest: Jackson, Kings, Nuggets, Lee

February 17th, 2015 at 11:36pm CST by Chuck Myron

Reporters make a habit of emptying their notebooks as the deadline draws near, when rumors that would normally make headlines wind up buried beneath the deluge of news. We already passed along highlights from a jam-packed piece that Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports authored tonight, and we’ll do the same with a dispatch from Ken Berger of CBSSports.com, who’s also heard plenty:

Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group provides some clarity on Lee, saying that the Warriors have always been willing to trade him for assets of value but that the team almost certainly won’t find what it’s looking for on the market. Golden State isn’t likely to simply give away the veteran, a favorite of co-owner Joe Lacob, unless it’s forced to in the offseason, Kawakami adds (All Twitter links).

Earlier updates:

Teams around the league expect the Thunder to trade Reggie Jackson before Thursday’s 2pm Central time trade deadline, Berger writes, indicating that they believe tax concerns would be the catalyst for Oklahoma City to make a deal.
Sacramento is intent on making an upgrade at the deadline in an effort to please DeMarcus Cousins, sources tell Berger, who identifies Arron Afflalo as the team’s No. 1 target. The Kings are dangling Nik Stauskas to the Nuggets as they seek Afflalo, to the puzzlement of some executives from other teams, Berger hears. The Kings continue to dangle Stauskas to other teams as well, according to Berger.
The Nuggets are in “full-on firesale mode,” and, notwithstanding Sacramento’s focus on Afflalo, Ty Lawson and Wilson Chandler are the players on Denver’s roster who are drawing the most interest from other teams, Berger writes.
Berger indicates that the Warriors are trying to trade David Lee, which conflicts with an earlier report that the team would like to keep him through the season to avoid disrupting chemistry. The CBSSports.com columnist also includes Kevin Martin on a list of players that teams are trying to trade, but Flip Saunders is reportedly showing little interest in doing so. Martin would be destined for a buyout if the Wolves don’t trade him, Berger hears.
Milwaukee has fielded offers for Brandon Knight, but the Bucks aren’t biting, sources tell Berger.
The Wizards are more likely to sign a free agent who would fill their desire for backcourt help than to make a trade, the CBSSports.com scribe hears.
The Clippers are still the front-runners for Tayshaun Prince should he and the Celtics do a buyout deal, according to Berger, who adds that Boston is trying to trade Brandon Bass.

Wojnarowski’s Latest: Prince, Clippers, Nelson

February 17th, 2015 at 10:27pm CST by Eddie Scarito

With Thursday’s NBA trade deadline creeping ever closer, things are going to heat up rather quickly. The reports that the Suns are looking to trade Goran Dragic are likely just the beginning of what should be an interesting couple of days around the NBA. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports relayed some of the latest deadline rumors from around the league:

The Celtics are continuing to try to include Tayshaun Prince in a trade package, but if unable to find a taker, the team will work out a buyout arrangement after the deadline, Wojnarowski notes.
After missing out on Amar’e Stoudemire, who is reportedly on his way to Dallas once he clears waivers, the Clippers’ best chance to improve their roster will be to sign a free agent, Wojnarowski opines. Los Angeles may attempt to sign Prince if he is waived by Boston, Wojnarowski adds. The Blazers are also interested in Prince, the Yahoo! scribe relays.
The Clippers have dangled Jamal Crawford in an effort to acquire a first round draft pick that the team could use to nab the Nuggets‘ Wilson Chandler or Arron Afflalo, the Yahoo! scribe adds. Los Angeles continues to show interest in the Suns‘ Gerald Green as well, Wojnarowski reports.
Los Angeles had scouted Lance Stephenson recently, but the Clippers never engaged in discussions with the Hornets regarding the mercurial guard, Wojnarowski relays.
There are several teams around the league that are hoping Jameer Nelson reaches a buyout arrangement with the Nuggets, Wojnarowski notes. Denver currently has no plans to cut the veteran point guard loose, adds the Yahoo! scribe.
Wolves president Flip Saunders has shown little inclination that he wishes to deal Kevin Martin and Thaddeus Young, Wojnarowski relays.
Teams that miss out on acquiring Afflalo may take a look at nabbing the Wolves‘ Chase Budinger, Wojnarowski writes. While teams like Budinger’s ability to spread the floor, his $5MM player option is a deterrent for some interested franchises, the Yahoo! scribe adds.

Celtics Notes: Thomas, Thornton, Bass

February 17th, 2015 at 10:13pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Celtics would be interested in swinging a deal for Suns guard Isaiah Thomas if Phoenix puts him on the block, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com reports. Boston’s president of basketball operations, Danny Ainge, was the first NBA executive to reach out to Thomas when he became a free agent last summer, according to Blakely, but Thomas wound up going to the Suns in a sign-and-trade deal with the Kings. If Thomas joins the Celtics, he would be used as a sparkplug off the bench behind rookie point guard Marcus Smart, Blakely opines.

In other Celtics news:

Marcus Thornton and Brandon Bass are the players most likely to be dealt if the Celtics move anyone off their current roster, according to Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe. Both have expiring contracts and could help a contender down the stretch but three unnamed GMs that Himmelsbach interviewed had varied opinions of what the Celtics could get for either player. Boston does have an open roster spot if it chooses to add a player because it declined to sign Andre Dawkins for the remainder of the season after his second 10-day contract expired.
The Celtics are unlikely to make a blockbuster trade before the deadline, Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com writes. They are more likely to seek additional assets in order to make a major move in the off-season, Forsberg adds. Boston has the ability to absorb as much as $13MM in exchange for draft picks or young players and could do so as a third-party facilitator for teams unable to match salaries in a proposed deal, according to Forsberg.
The Celtics management was unanimous in the decision to trade Rajon Rondo to the Mavericks in December, according to Ian Thomsen of NBA.com. Ainge revealed to Thomsen in an extensive interview that it would have been difficult to give Rondo a max contract when he hit the free agent market this summer because of his shooting and defensive shortcomings. Ainge added in the same interview that even a max offer might not have prevented Rondo from signing with the Knicks or Lakers, who are starved for a point guard to pair with stars Carmelo Anthony and Kobe Bryant, respectively.

Northwest Rumors: Kanter, Lawson, Afflalo

February 17th, 2015 at 11:31am CST by Chuck Myron

The Northwest Division includes the Nuggets, who are as active if not more so than any other club as the deadline draws near, the Thunder, who’ve been frequently linked to Brook Lopez and have a trade candidate of their own in Reggie Jackson, and Enes Kanter, who wants off the Jazz. It’s also home to the Timberwolves, who last week took part in the first two trades of February. The Trail Blazers have come up in rumors, too. Here’s more from what could be the NBA’s division to watch between now and 2pm Central time on Thursday:

The Jazz offered Kanter a four-year, $32MM extension this past fall, but the Max Ergul client’s representatives wanted a deal akin to the max contract worth nearly $63MM over four years that Gordon Hayward signed this summer, sources tell Jody Genessy of the Deseret News (Twitter link).

Earlier updates:

The Nuggets have received calls from numerous teams about Ty Lawson, but have so far turned away those suitors, sources tell Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post, who adds that the Nuggets haven’t actively shopped the point guard (Twitter links). Denver and the Celtics reportedly engaged in exploratory talks about Lawson, and the Bucks have been loosely connected to him as well.
The interest the Thunder have in Arron Afflalo is strong, as a source describes it to Michael Scotto of SheridanHoops (Twitter link). Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com reported Monday that the Thunder had spoken with the Nuggets about Afflalo, nonetheless adding that none of the conversations that Denver was having with several teams about the shooting guard had advanced to a serious stage.
Utah is indeed asking for a lot in any deal involving Kanter, but several teams are in pursuit, executives tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). Wojnarowski lists a young player and a first-rounder as two sorts of assets the Jazz would want, but it’s unclear if they would require both to get a deal done. Still, a league source later reaffirmed to Scotto (Twitter link) what Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune had heard Monday, when Jones wrote that Utah is unlikely to trade the center and that while the Jazz will listen to offers, he remains in the team’s plans.

Atlantic Notes: Wallace, Celtics, ‘Melo, Carlesimo

February 17th, 2015 at 8:59am CST by Chuck Myron

A Western Conference team has been inquiring with the Celtics about Gerald Wallace, according to Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald. The veteran forward makes nearly $10.106MM this season and the same salary next year, making him Boston’s highest-paid player and difficult to trade. The proposals the Celtics have received for him and others are “lowball” offers, Bulpett says, though in Wallace’s case, that’s certainly not surprising, given the albatross his contract has represented ever since Boston acquired him in the Kevin Garnett/Paul Pierce trade of 2013. There’s more from Bulpett’s piece on the Celtics amid the latest from the Atlantic Division:

The Celtics reportedly have interest in Ty Lawson and Enes Kanter, but it’s unlikely either winds up in Boston come the trade deadline, as Bulpett writes in the same piece. Kanter’s public trade request is concerning to potential suitors, several league sources tell the Herald scribe.
Some within the Knicks have for weeks wanted Carmelo Anthony to stop playing this season so he can tend to his injured left knee, reports Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com.
The summer ahead will show whether the Knicks under Phil Jackson can truly commit to a long-range plan or fall prey to the sort of quick-fix moves that have hurt the team in recent years, opines Chris Herring of The Wall Street Journal.
P.J. Carlesimo admits he’d like to coach in the NBA again and thought his productive, albeit brief tenure with the Nets two years ago might help boost his stock around the league. Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News has the details via Twitlonger.
Jerryd Bayless spoke glowingly about the time he spent with the Celtics and even admitted he would’ve liked to have re-signed with Boston when he was a free agent last summer, as Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe relays. Still, the seventh-year guard was quick to express a fondness for the Bucks, with whom he signed a two-year contract in July.

Charlie Adams contributed to this post.

And-Ones: Blazers, Sanders, Trade Rumors, Bulls

February 16th, 2015 at 10:34pm CST by Charlie Adams

Jermaine O’Neal appeared poised to join the Mavs, but instead it’ll be another big man jumping aboard Dallas’ roster mid-season, as Amar’e Stoudemire has reportedly committed to inking a deal with Rick Carlise and company. While the seven-time All-Star hooking up with the Mavs is the biggest scoop of the night, we’ve got plenty more from around the league to round up below:

The Blazers “will not hesitate” to send a first-round pick, Thomas Robinson, and “another player” to the Nuggets in exchange for Wilson Chandler, reports Jabari Young of CSNNW.com. Portland prefers Chandler to Arron Afflalo, according to Young, but the team would be interested in adding Afflalo if Denver’s asking price on him is significantly lower than that of Chandler’s.
If Larry Sanders and the Bucks reach a deal on a buyout, the Cavs will be among the teams with interest in signing the 26-year-old big man, according to Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio (Twitter link). Sanders hasn’t suited up for Milwaukee since December 23rd.
There’s “plenty of interest” around the league in Brendan Haywood‘s uniquely structured contract, Amico reports in the same tweet.
The Bulls are interested in adding a shooter to their roster, but they won’t move any of their big men or sacrifice a future first-rounder to do so, tweets K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. Such reluctance likely means they won’t be able to land the sharpshooting Afflalo, whom the team is reportedly high on, and Johnson indicates Chicago will look to the list of players who reach buyout deals as potential targets.
Andre Dawkins‘ second 10-day contract with the Celtics expired last week, but Boston doesn’t intend to re-sign him for the remainder of the season, reveals Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe (via Twitter).
While no signing is imminent, the Bulls and Ronnie Brewer have kept in close contact this season, reports Shams Charania of RealGM. Chicago has one open roster spot.
The Wizards hope to acquire a speedy point guard to back up John Wall and a shooter to help space the floor, as Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports passes along in his weekly power rankings.
Adam Silver doesn’t believe that the draft lottery is a broken system, but he confessed that fans’ generally negative perception of it has him contemplating a new way to determine the draft order, observes Benjamin Hoffman of the New York Times.

Eastern Notes: Knicks, Horford, Williams

February 16th, 2015 at 7:30pm CST by ChrisCrouse

It’s doubtful that the Knicks will be able to trade Jose Calderon or Andrea Bargnani, but a source tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports that a smaller deal could happen. Calderon, who Eddie Scarito of Hoops Rumors examined as a trade candidate, is making slightly less than $7.1MM this season and is owed more than $15.1MM over the remaining two years of his deal. Bargnani, whom Eddie believes is unlikely to be traded, is set to make $11.5 this season, which is the last year of his current contract.

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

Al Horford said that he doesn’t know whether the Hawks should reinstate GM Danny Ferry from his indefinite absence, and Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald takes it as a signal that Horford isn’t warm to the idea of Ferry returning.
Mo Williams had a trade kicker in his deal, according to Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link), so he went from making $3.75MM to just under $3.97MM. The Timberwolves paid the difference, though the new number counts on Charlotte’s cap.
Tim Frazier, whose 10-day contract with the Sixers has expired, will return to the Maine Red Claws, the D-League affiliate of the Celtics, according to Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com. The point guard appeared in three games with Philadelphia, averaging five points, 4.7 rebounds, and 8.7 assists per game.
Kyle Lowry has blossomed into a star in Toronto but the point guard was skeptical at first when he was acquired by the Raptors, writes Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. “Well no, honestly I didn’t think [this is where everything would work out],” Lowry said of Toronto. “But with all the hard work I put in and the commitment they made to me, everything just kind of came into fruition and it worked out.”

Chuck Myron contributed to this post

Bucks Eye Taj Gibson, Norris Cole, Enes Kanter

February 16th, 2015 at 4:18pm CST by Chuck Myron

4:18pm: The Jazz are unlikely to trade Kanter, and while they’ll listen to offers for the big man, he remains in their plans for the future, sources tell Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune. Team officials are confident they can alleviate Kanter’s frustration, and it would take a “pretty amazing offer” for the Jazz to even think about parting with him, Jones also hears.

3:56pm: The Bucks have a strong interest in Taj Gibson and some interest in Norris Cole, according to Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio, while Sam Smith of Bulls.com indicates that Milwaukee would like to have Enes Kanter. The Bulls are particularly hesitant to part with Gibson, as Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times wrote recently, in spite of apparent interest from other teams, though there are conflicting reports regarding the willingness of the Heat to part with Cole. Kanter is trying to force the issue in Utah, having publicly expressed a desire to be traded.

Chicago hasn’t initiated any talks about Gibson, according to Cowley, though the Raptors, Suns, Pistons and Trail Blazers are among the teams to have been linked to him over the past few months, as Sean Deveney of The Sporting News wrote recently. He’s making $8MM in year two of a reasonably priced four-year extension with salaries below $9MM each season.

The Pistons reportedly offered Jonas Jerebko for Cole, but the Heat’s insistence that Detroit take Danny Granger along with him short-circuited any potential deal there. Heat team president Pat Riley denied that Miami proposed a deal to the Nets that involved Cole, who’s due for restricted free agency this summer, and the Hornets had interest prior to their Mo Williams trade.

Kanter is also poised to become a restricted free agent at season’s end after he and the Jazz failed to come to terms on an extension. Smith also indicates that the Celtics are in the mix for him, though there are conflicting reports about that.

The interest in all three players, each of whom plays a different position, seems to indicate that the Bucks are seeking a number of avenues to upgrade as they fight for playoff position in the Eastern Conference. Milwaukee, a year removed from having the worst record in the NBA, stands sixth in the East at 30-23. The Bucks are about $6.7MM under the cap, and though their roster is full, they’re reportedly in buyout talks with Larry Sanders.

Celtics Engage In Exploratory Ty Lawson Talks

February 16th, 2015 at 9:53am CST by Chuck Myron

The Celtics and Nuggets have had exploratory conversations about a deal involving Ty Lawson, several sources tell Grantland’s Zach Lowe. People around the league sense that a team could pry Lawson or Kenneth Faried from the Nuggets for an especially intriguing offer, Lowe hears. The Nuggets are a hub of activity leading up to Thursday’s 2pm Central trade deadline, and Jusuf Nurkic is the only Nuggets player truly off-limits, several league sources said to Lowe. Still, Denver’s setting high prices, as the Grantland scribe suggests the Nuggets are looking for multiple first-round picks in return for each of Arron Afflalo and Wilson Chandler instead of just one for each, as previous reports indicated. He also hints that the Nuggets have spoken to the Wizards about Chandler and Afflalo, though that point isn’t entirely clear.

Boston would be an odd fit for Lawson, since the Celtics have 2014 No. 6 overall pick Marcus Smart at the point after trading Rajon Rondo, and Lowe writes that Boston won’t relinquish Smart in any deal for Lawson. Still, Lawson is tied for the league lead with a career-high 10.1 assists per game, and his salary of nearly $11.596MM would fit within Boston’s massive trade exception worth more than $12.909MM left over from the Rondo trade, so the Nuggets could offload his salary without taking anyone back. Lawson has two more seasons on his deal, worth $12.404MM in 2015/16 and $13.213MM in 2016/17.

Nuggets coach Brian Shaw has clashed with the point guard at times this season, according to Lowe, who nonetheless downplays the significance of that conflict. Denver appeared to be against the idea of putting Lawson in a deal for Brook Lopez last month, and while another report suggested Denver was willing to trade the 27-year-old, the asking price from GM Tim Connelly and company was a turn-off to would-be suitors.

Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Butler, Celtics

February 15th, 2015 at 9:27pm CST by Zachary Links

At Canada’s Lakehead University, coach Scott Morrison took one of the nation’s worst programs and developed them into one of the better teams in just two seasons. Now, he seems to be working a similar turnaround with the Celtics‘ D-League affiliate, the Maine Red Claws, as A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com writes. In his first season as the team’s head coach, Morrison has led the squad to an impressive 20-10 record in addition to leading the “Futures” D-League All-Star team to a 129-94 win over the “Prospects” All-Star team on Sunday.

“Learning how to win is what coaching is,” said Danny Ainge, Boston’s president of basketball operations. “When you win, that’s fun. That keeps players’ attention; that gives the coach credibility when you win. Scott has guys listening a little bit more because he’s had some success.”

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division..

The Sixers did not sign Tim Frazier to a second 10-day deal, according to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer (on Twitter). The Penn State product appeared in three games for the Sixers and started in two of those contests. He averaged 5.0 PPG, 8.7 APG, and 4.7 RPG in 35.7 minutes per game. Pompey notes that by not re-signing Frazier, the 76ers now have an available roster spot to take on an expiring contract before Thursday’s deadline. That could be an indication that the 76ers won’t be inking anyone to another 10-day pact in the coming days.
In an alternate universe, Bulls standout Jimmy Butler could have been a member of the Knicks this season, Tim Bontemps of the New York Post writes. If Carmelo Anthony had decided to go to Chicago, Butler quite possibly would have been one of the pieces coming to the Knicks in a sign-and-trade with the Bulls. Butler, of course, has emerged as a rising star in the NBA while the Knicks are out of playoff contention.
With Celtics coach Brad Stevens and his players making a public pitch for continuity, Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com wonders if Ainge might take the cautious approach at the deadline. If a team offers a first-round pick for Brandon Bass or Marcus Thornton, Forsberg thinks he should jump on it. If it’s just a mid-to-late second round pick for a player like that, however, there’s little reason for the C’s to do it, especially when they’ll likely have to take back salary to complete a swap.